I believe that most Christians lack a true understanding of who God really is. Instead of God being a Father who loves them with a love that knows no end, most see God as someone who isn't really interested in them personally, but rather only cares about them more like His subjects. They view God as a dictator not a loving, caring Father whose deepest, heartfelt desire is to bless them. Consequently, with such a misunderstanding of God, it is easy to see why the idea of sitting and worshipping Him is not very appealing to many believers.
No matter how hard "religion" tries to paint a picture of God as being a self-absorbed, untouchable, uncaring God who watches from afar waiting for us to slip up just one time and then WHAM! The truth is, that picture is just not correct.
"Religion" is man's attempt to understand an infinite God by using a finite mind, which is impossible and any attempt to do so produces horrible misconceived ideas. It results in organizations which put their leaders in long robes placing them in a category above normal people, as a go between to God. "Religion" builds huge castle-like buildings which produce feelings of inferiority in the hearts of the people and instead of God being someone who hungers to fellowship with His children, He is viewed as "unreachable" and "distant". This results in feelings of unworthiness and insignificance in the presence of a huge God. It also causes a wrong kind of fear of God in people which magnifies their sin in their own eyes becoming the central focus of their attention. Yes, we should reverentially fear God and try to abstain from sin, but not because we think that He is about to squish us like a bug. That kind of fear will always keep a person from ever truly knowing God.
When you think about God; who is He to you? Is He your Father who is close to you and cares about the smallest details of your life? How about Jesus, when you look at Him are you looking into the most loving eyes you have ever seen, or are you unable to even think about looking into His eyes? Instead of some unapproachable being off in the distance, is God your Father eager to spend time with you and love on you? Until your image of God changes from the false picture painted by "religion" to the picture of who He really is, you will never be able to worship Him with true worship. Worship is not supposed to be your efforts to appease an "Angry" God nor are you are worshipping God because He needs His ego fed. Worship is born out of an understanding of who God is as your Father and what God has done by sending His Son to the cross in your place to suffer and die in order to pay the price for your sin. He did all this because He wants to fellowship with us as His child. It is essential that believers realize He did all of this to give us the opportunity, if we choose, to accept His gift of salvation and be engrafted into His Family as His children.
Instead of seeing God as the "Ogre" who is poised and ready to jump on us at the least mistake, see Him as the one who pulled out all the stops by going beyond what any other person would ever consider doing when He sacrificed the life of His Son Jesus for each one of us individually. He did this with no guarantee that anyone would ever accept what He did. Unfortunately, for most believers, they will never know in this lifetime the real person of God. They will accept the lies of "religion" and consequently they will live and die and miss out on the joy and fulfillment God meant for them to experience in their life on earth. For those unfortunate people, assuming they can manage to hang on to their salvation in the light of their misconceptions of God, they are going to arrive in heaven one day and discover someone who is quite different than they were told. They will discover the most loving and kind person they have ever met. They will finally see God for who He really is instead of the lies of "Religion".
I quickly run out of words when I try to describe God's loving kindness or just how wonderful He is to me and instead of saying these things because I feel I have to, I say them because I want to. I have fallen so in love with Jesus and my Father God and the Holy Spirit that all I can do is try to find more ways to lay my life down for Him. Am I perfect? No, not by a long shot. But, I have discovered the secret of quickly repenting when I sin and (Hebrews 4:16) "Come boldly unto the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." I learned a long time ago that when I sin not to run from God but to run to God and confess my sin according to I John 1:9. He is not looking for reasons to keep you out of His presence. He has done everything possible to make a way for you back into His presence.
In conclusion, worship is born out of knowing your Heavenly Father and what He has really done for you and not the picture "religion" tries to paint of Him. The truth is, that false picture painted by "religion" is done with the goal of keeping you in bondage to fear and never knowing the liberty Jesus purchased for you with His own life. The devil is the author of "religion". Always remember, God did not send Jesus to the cross to start a "religion", He did it to start a family. That is the message the devil doesn't want you to hear. The devil doesn't want you to know that God made a way through Jesus for you to become a member of His family, something satan will never ever know. This infuriates the devil and consequently he came up with a plan to convince man that God was mad at them and the whole idea of "religion" began. Do yourself a favor and take God out of the stained glass cathedral, out from behind the closed doors of the monasteries, and see Him for who He really is, your Father and your Lord and Saviour who loves you more than you could ever imagine. Worship Him out of a heart of gratitude, love and appreciation for all He has done. When you really begin to Know God and what He has done for you, you will begin to see worship in an entirely new way.
~Blessings
